Means for repairing tubes



0a. 16, 1923. '1,471,184 A. MILES MEANS FOR REPAIRING TUBES Filed Aug.13 1920 HFX/70x M/QS.

Patented oei. 1e, 1923.

untreu stares .ARTHUR MILES, or KANSAS" CITY, MISSOURI. A

MEANS FOR REPAIRINGr-TUBES.

Application filed August 13, 1920. Serial. No. 409,316. y

To all wit-omit may concern.' Be it known that I, ARTHUR MILES, asubject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Kansas City, in thecounty of Jackson and State of Missouri7 .have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Means for Repairing Tubes; and I do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the artfto which itV appertains tomake and use the same, reference being` had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters andligures of reference marked thereon,which form a part ofthis speciiication; v Y

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for repairing tubesand itis particularly applicable in connection with radiator tubes formotor vehicles. r

Itis well known that the tubes of radiators not* infrequently split andon account lof the peculiarconstruction ofthearrangement oftubes landthe fins or websV connecting "them, considerableA difliculty hasheretofore been encountered in repairing them dueto the inaccessibilityof the tubes.

I have provided a novel method and mechanism for expeditiously effectingtherepairs in the event that there is a leak in the radiator tube due tosplitting or from any other cause. The mechanism forcarrying out themethod is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which g Figtl isa .view partly in elevation and partly in section of a radiator,showing'theA mapner of repairing the tubes.

viewthrough a tube, showing the method of effecting the firststep in therepair.. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the second step.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of a tube,

an expanding packer and anexpander,v and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary viewrofthebottom of a radiator, showing the closer for the bottom in place.

VAssuming that the tubes l and 2 of the radiator 3 split and leak and itis desired to effectk a repair, the bottom manifold 4 is cut out toprovide an opening rwhich may later be closedV by a closer or seal to bereferred to hereinafter. After the opening 5 is made below the tubes tobe repaired, a tubular patch 6 is introduced into the tube or ltubes tobe repaired through the opening 5. The tubular patch is provided withheads 7 and d ig. 2 is a vertical, longitudinal, sectional point/s.

ever, thewater may pass through it althoughk 7 approximately thediameterof the inner diameter of the tube tobe repaired,for example, the tube l.The heads 7 and 7 however, are of suoli diameter that the patch may beyfreely movedk into the tube l. y

rlhe expanders 8 and 9 are then introduced into the tube l andthey havesleeved thereon expanding packers l() and 11, which are adapted to. abutagainst the heads 6 and 7. The expanders 8 and 9 are slightlyconical andtelescopedwithin theitubular patch 6. i

so that when they` are drawnone toward Vthe other, they will expandthepackers .10 andr ll kagainst the inner wall of the tube l to seal 0Hthe'y portion ofthe tube l lbetween the packersbut permit thewater topass through the tubular pateh.` f

In order to draw the expanders 8 and 9 one toward the' other, I utilize'a draw rod or member l2 (seeFi'gQ).Thedrawrod is provided Awith ahookor'eye 13 adapted to engage' the bendv 14j of the expander-engagingmember l5. i The expander-engagingmember,` 15 is substantiallyV-shapedwith outwardly projecting ends 16 `and 17 adapted to abutagainst `the endofoneoff.-the .ex-

panders as, for example, 8. The'draw member l2 extends down throughthe'tube l and through the Aopening 5 andis provided with a threaded end1 8, which is' adapted ,to 'be i engaged by a thumb nut l9, to force af,

tubular member expander 9.A Y, f) y, The tubular `member QQmay vbesleeved on thedraw memberlQ and Ipreferto apply ZOagainst the head ofthe a plat-e or-disk 2l .on the threaded end thereoffwhch bears againstthe end of the tubular member 20and which-serves as an abutment 'forthejam nut 19., Therefore, when the nut 19 isscrewed upon the threads,the mem# ber 20 will bey moved longitudinally toward Y fr the member 1 5and the member 15,k and its expander 8 will be.y drawn toward/the memfber 9, therefore, the two glands or expanders 8 and 9 will be forcedinto the tubularpatch.y

6, .drawing the packers 10 and 11 against the heads7` and 7', causingVthem to expand and sealing oli' the tubel 'at these respective Sincethe patch 6 is tubular, how- 11 to expand them, it becomes necessary toiio remove the member 15. I, therefore, find it expedient toV removelthe jam or thumb nut 19, take off the disk or plate 21 and remove thetubular member 20. Then a 'tube 22 of smaller diameter Will beintroduced through the gland or expander 9, the Vtubular member 22 beinglong enough to extend up to and surround the member 15. Since the memberis of spring material and V- shaped, it Will be apparent that after thetuber 22 is forced thereon, the ends 16 Aand 17 retract from engagementwith the heady of the expander 8,' that is, the ends 16 and 17 Will bedrawn togetherso as to release themselves from engagement with the headof the member 8, and since the distance between the ends 16 and 17 willbe less than the diameter of the 'gland or expander 8, it is pullingupon the draw member 12, leaving the patch in place, as shown in thetube 2 of Fig. 1. The repair to the tube has then been completed.

It then becomes necessary to close the previouslymade opening inthemanifold The opening 5 is preferably elliptical and in Y order toclose'the same, I provide an elliptical plate 23, Which may be insertedthrough y the opening, as shown in dotted lines in F 5, and then turned,shown in full lines of Fig. 5,' to'overlap the opening. The closer 23may be faced with a packing of rubber orsirnilar material 24 and at thecenter of the member 23, I prefer to provide a rivet head 25, upon Whichmay be sleeved a clamp Vplate 26` to abut against the lower face of themanifold t. Then'the edge 27 of the rivet may be peened over or flangedso as to rivet the members 211 and 26 together, effectually sealing theopening 5. The completion of the repair to the radiator has now beenaccomplished.

It Will be vapparent from the foregoing that radiator tubes may-beexpeditiously and efliciently repaired Without breaking lthe fins orotherwise distorting the radiator'. y

' In actual practice Iv prefer to assemble-the patch 6 With theexpanders b5 and 9 carrying thepackers 10 and 11 outside of the tube; i

then place the member 15 in place with the attached draw member 12,apply the tube 20,

plate 21 and nut 19 and then introduce the yWhole assembly into thetube. It will then upon the nut 19 may be removed, the mem-y bers 20 and21 taken off and the member 22 inserted in order to release the member15, accomplishing `the desired Aresult very quickly. y

Vhile I have specifically referi'ed to the method as applied to radiatortubes, it is obvious that it may be practiced in repairing other typesof tubes susceptible of such apn 'plicatioim obvious that they may beWithdrawn by Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is: 1,.,Means for repairing radiator tubes commeans for telescoping theexpanders Within the tube, andimeans for releasing the last named means.Y Y

2. Means for repairing leaky radiator tubes comprising a tubular patch,expansiblc packersat the ends ofthe tube, expanders therefor, means foractuating said expanders comprising a normally expanded expanderengagingmember, and means for contracting the expander-engaging member toreleaseit from engagement With the expander.

3. Means for repairing radiator tubes comprising a tubular patch,cxpanders in telescopic 'relation with the tubular patch,

expansible packing rings between the tubular patch and the expanders,means for drawing theexpanders Within the tube, and means for releasingthe drawing means 'whereby unimpeded through passageways Will beprovided through the tubular patch and through the expaiiders at the ends thereof.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ARTHUR MILES.

